Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Ending an era is always a difficult affair and with millions of Harry fanatics (complete with Potter spectacles and Griffindor scarfs) watching on lustfully, there's a lot of pressure on the grand finale to be simply spectacular. And luckily, it is.

The story takes off at a lightning pace exactly where the previous Harry film left its audience hanging. There's no brief summary or flashback to help you pick up the pieces, as Harry immediately starts looking for the rest of the 'Hoorcruxes'. You quickly realize that the slow pace, with long scenes of dialogue and emotional intensity of the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is long gone, making it quite clear why Director David Yates (Deathly Hallows - Part 1, Half-Blood Prince, Order of the Phoenix) decided to split the final Harry book the way he did.

"You quickly realize that the slow pace, with long scenes of dialogue and emotional intensity of the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is long gone."

What has however stayed is the Deathy Hallows' thick sense of darkness, as there are almost no scenes that offer a bit of relief from the inevitiable confrontation. The film's drive is directed soley to this battle, leading to a magnificent build up that will leave fans gasping for air. The film is as unforgiving as one would expect, with many friends and foes alike that are claimed as casualties before it is all said and done.

With the dramatic flair of part 1 now firmly in the past, the final Harry film opts for a much more plot heavy and action-packed structure. And as far as epic fantasy battles go, this is probably one of the most beautiful and intense ones I've witnessed. Beautiful due to the simply breathtaking visual effects and intense due to the significance of the location of this final battlefield. All of this without it ever feeling over the top, fitting in perfectly to what is possible in this magical world – the magic truly is at it most wondorous in this final installment.

"...The magic truly is at it most wondorous in this final installment."

Even though this is one of the shortest and least talkative Harry films, the acting retains the high standard set by previous entries. Whilst the female leads (Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter) take a noticeable backseat, the male leads like Alan Rickman and Ralph Fiennes get more than enough screen time to conjure up a satisfying sense of emotional release for the series. But of course, the real star here is Daniel Radcliffe himself and it would seem that his progression into a serious & highly capable actor is now finally complete, delivering his role with great conviction and admirable frustration.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is by far the most epic Potter film to date and seeing how it is the final installment, it seems very fitting that the film takes on a quite different feel to any previous entry in the series. Flashbacks to the first Potter film really makes you respect and appreciate how far the series has progressed and what a challenge it was to bring JK Rowling's breakthrough fantasy series to the big screen. It's an adveture that has defined a generation and that alone is a worthy accolade and proof of Potter's impact on the world of us muggles.

Tom Riddle hasn't aged well...

Highlight: The combined magical inputs of various wizards leads to a spectacular CGI accomplishment.

Rating: 4-and-a-half out of 5 Meerkat Tails

The Harry Potter franchise

Best film of the series:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – The second last Harry film gave the three leads the perfect canvas to stretch their dramatic muscles and managed to accurately capture the culminated dark anguish that all three have had to endure since their first year at Hogwarts.

Rating average for the entire series:4 out of 5 Meerkat Tails – A Few of the entries were disappointing, but as a whole, the series will be remembered as a cinematic marvel for generations to come.